coal identification

[Sylvesterd101]

Just curious on input of what type of coal this is, bit or sub bit?

[carlherrnstein]

Hard to tell, is it in PA? I would guess either bituminous or anthracite if it burns with a fire flame it's bituminous.

[Sylvesterd101]

Hard to tell, is it in PA? I would guess either bituminous or anthracite if it burns with a fire flame it's bituminous.

yea its from western pa. wasnt sure if it was bit or sub bit

[carlherrnstein]

I have only seen anthracite in bags at TSC but I have burned about 30 tons of OH/KY/WV bit. I didn't catch my error if it burns with a yellow flame it's bituminous.

[Sylvesterd101]

I have only seen anthracite in bags at TSC but I have burned about 30 tons of OH/KY/WV bit. I didn't catch my error if it burns with a yellow flame it's bituminous.

gotcha, ill just go with it. i was just curious if there was anyone well versed in the handling of different types of coal and if they would be able to tell the difference if it was bit or sub but i suppose it doesnt matter as long as it burns right haha

[BigBarney]

Most all coal in WPA is bituminous coal.

A large amount is Pittsburgh seam coal in the southern

area. Further north a lot of Freeport seam is available.

CARL: Not all bituminous burns with a yellow flame, only if

you have a poor air fuel ratio.

BigBarney

[freetown fred]

Do I have to say--Good Lord again BB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BigBarney]

Watch some of the videos i posted and see the blue

flames from bituminous coal of all kinds.

BigBarney

[carlherrnstein]

Watch some of the videos i posted and see the blue

flames from bituminous coal of all kinds.

BigBarney

Take a plumbers torch and put it to a piece of bituminous coal(torch must be lit) What color did the flame turn ? Yellow, it will happen every single time because there are lots of hydrocarbons in it. Everytime bituminous coal is added to the fire in a coal heating stove it burns yellow until most of the hydrocarbons are volatilized and are gone. Yes this still happens in a underfeed bituminous stoker.

I'm sure there's some "magic stove" that doesn't do this in laboratory conditions that will completely change the game and render every other heating appliance obsolete. Once they get the cost down and develope the infrastructure and provide tax incentives for the use of aforementioned device..............

[franco b]

Flame is yellow because it is bits of carbon burning that have precipitated from the gas given off and have now received enough air and heat to burn.

If air is premixed with that gas, before ignition, it will burn blue. This is true of wood as well and wood fires will contain some blue in spots.

So, it depends how and when air is mixed with the fuel. Fuel oil can burn either blue or yellow depending on the burner.

[BigBarney]

franco b:

You stated this well , it all depends on the proper air to fuel ratio.

If your device can properly mix the air and fuel you get varying

degrees of full combustion and hence th different color of flame.

An example is a oxy/fuel torch as you adjust the fuel/air you get

different flames and temperatures.

It has to do with temperature and the air/fuel ratio.

Your plumbers torch is an example of very poor combustion

and mixing of the gases. You have to remember that what burns

are the gases not the solids,

BigBarney

[Sylvesterd101]

Interesting

[Bubbalowe]

I started a thread in February about a load of Lehigh coal I purchased that burned with yellow flame. Definitely anthracite but with volatiles to create yellow flame. Adding to my confusion was just reading about Broad Top coal fields and their smokeless bituminous low volatile and other bituminous coal fields in Fayette County region that actually have more BTU's than anthracite. If it burns and warms my living area I'm good.

[Sylvesterd101]

I started a thread in February about a load of Lehigh coal I purchased that burned with yellow flame. Definitely anthracite but with volatiles to create yellow flame. Adding to my confusion was just reading about Broad Top coal fields and their smokeless bituminous low volatile and other bituminous coal fields in Fayette County region that actually have more BTU's than anthracite. If it burns and warms my living area I'm good.

i hear ya, i actually inquired at the fisher mine but i guess they said they are closing down. so if i want to try my hand at bit coal burning id have to rent a dump truck and drive 3+ hours each way which to me im better off just paying extra for anthracite

[larryfoster]

Depending on where you are, I get good coal from the tipple in Shelocta.

Since no coal is mined in Armstrong County anymore, he has it hauled in from W Va.